The present invention relates generally to pierced earrings, and is more specifically directed to the provision of a protector for a person's pierced earlobe in the nature of a protective tube that extends through the wearer's lobe but that is provided with means for retaining the protector on the wearer's lobe so that it is always there when the wearer wishes to put on a pierced earring.
Pierced earrings have long been popular since there is less likelihood of the earring becoming lost or inadvertently detached from the wearer's ear than is the case with so-called clip-on earrings wherein the earring is retained on the wearer's lobe by means of a spring-loaded clip arm. Quite obviously, earrings of the clip-on type are more subject to accidental removal from the wearer's ear and hence are more likely to become lost, thus making it somewhat impractical to provide earrings of any real value utilizing the clip-on type mounting.
In addition, once one overcomes the initial discomfort of having one's ear pierced, pierced earrings are actually more comfortable to the wearer than clip-on type earrings, since the latter must necessarily exert a constant pressure on the wearer's lobe, which frequently can become quite uncomfortable.
However, a longstanding problem with pierced earrings is the fact that irritation and infection may sometimes result from the engagement of the pierced earring post, which is usually metallic, with the wearer's earlobe as the post extends therethrough. This is particularly true where a plated metal is utilized, since such platings frequently utilize nickel as a brightener, and nickel has long exhibited a tendency to promote irritation and even infection when in contact with the wearer's earlobe.
Efforts have been made to overcome this problem by utilizing earring posts that are hypoallergenic, such as posts of surgical steel or precious metals, but this is not always feasible, and not always completely successful in eliminating the aforesaid irritation and infection problems.
Another approach that has been tried has been to provide a hypoallergenic lining, such as tubular plastic, that surrounds the metallic post of the pierced earring so as to provide a hypoallergenic barrier between the post and the wearer's ear. U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,341 dated Jan. 10, 1978 to Ivey is illustrative of this technique, but the problem with the Ivey patent is that the tubular protector is mounted on the post or wire of the earring and then is inserted through the wearer's pierced lobe as a unit. Thus, there is no teaching or suggestion in the Ivey patent of permanently or at least semi-permanently mounting the protective tube in the wearer's lobe so that it will always be there when the wearer wishes to put on a pair of pierced earrings.
Edge U.S. Pat. No. 113,031 dated Mar. 28, 1871 and Handerson U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,863 dated Jul. 26, 1955 are other patents that broadly teach the concept of utilizing some kind of tubular means within the wearer's pierced earlobe that in effect serves as a lining for the piercing in the wearer's ear, but neither of these patents teach or suggest use of a hypoallergenic liner, nor do they teach a liner which is semi-permanently mounted on the wearer's lobe in the structural way that applicant's protector is mounted.